In Latin America, approximately 90 million individuals live in regions where Chagas' disease is endemic. Approximately 18 to 20 million individuals are already infected with the agent responsible for this disease: Trypanozoma (Schizotrypanum) cruzi. 
Chemotherapeutic treatments for this disease are at the current time based on two families of molecules: nitrofurans, for instance nifurtimox, and nitroimidazoles, for instance benznidazole. These compounds can be effective on Chagas' disease at the beginning of infection, but they are barely effective, or not at all, on this disease when Trypanosoma cruzi has become established in the organism and the disease has taken on a chronic nature.
At this stage, this disease is at the current time considered to be incurable.
Treatments with nufurtimox and with benznidazole are also confronted with the appearance of resistant strains of Trypanosoma cruzi, which further decreases their effectiveness in the primary phase of Chagas' disease. Finally, these two molecules have not insignificant side effects such as anorexia, vomiting, peripheral neuropathy and allergic dermopathy.
There was therefore a need for a treatment for Chagas' disease that is effective both in the first phase of the disease, where Trypanosoma cruzi is present essentially in the blood, and in the second phase of this disease, where Trypanosoma cruzi is essentially found in the organs: heart, digestive system.
Canthin-6-one is a known compound that was isolated from plants such as: Ailanthus altissima (Simaroubaceae) by Ohmoto et al., Chem. Pharm. Bull., 1976, 24, 1532-1536; Brucea antidysenterica (Simaroubaceae) by Fukamiya et al., Planta Med., 1987, 53, 140-143; Eurycoma harmandiana (Simaroubaceae) by Kachanapoom et al., Phytochemistry, 2001, 56, 383-386; Peganum nigellastrum (Zygophyllaceae) by Ma et al., Phytochemistry, 2000, 53, 1075-1078.
Canthin-6-one has been identified in an extract of Zanthoxylum elephantiasis (Rutaceae) by Mitscher et al., Lloydia, 1972, 35, 177-180.
Therapeutic activities of canthin-6-one or of plant extracts containing it have been reported in the following indications:
The treatment of malaria, by Kordona et al., J. Nat. Prod., 1991, 54(5), 1360-1367; as an antitumor agent, by Fukamiya et al., Planta Med., 1987, 53(2), 140-143; as an antifungal agent by Mitscher et al., Lloydia, 1972, 35(2), 177-180.
Zanthoxylum chiloperone, from where the canthin-6-one for the use of the invention is extracted, is known for its use in traditional medicine as an anti-inflammatory, as an antipyretic, against rheumatism, and as a general antiparasitic.
However, nothing in the prior art implied that canthin-6-one was capable of constituting a treatment for Chagas' disease, both in its primary or acute phase and in its chronic phase.
A subject of the invention is therefore the use of canthin-6-one, of plant extracts containing it and of some of its derivatives, which will be defined below, for producing a medicinal product intended for the treatment of trypanosomiases, in particular the treatment of Chagas' disease.
Canthin-6-one was isolated from the bark of the trunk of a rutacea identified as Zanthoxylum chiloperone var. angustifolium. 
This plant was harvested in Paraguay, close to Piribebuy in the department of Cordillera. An example of this plant was registered with the Herbarium of the Faculty of Chemistry of Asuncion in Paraguay under the number AF917.
Several extracts of Zanthoxylum chiloperone var. angustifolium were isolated by means of a method that will be described below. Canthin-6-one itself was also isolated from this plant. However, the invention can also be implemented using canthin-6-one isolated from the other plants that contain it, and that were listed above. Extracts of Ailanthus altissima, of Brucea antidysenterica, of Eurycoma harmandiana, of Peganum nigellastrum or of Zanthoxylum elephantiasis that contain it can also be used to implement the invention.